Marinette, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marinette, Wisconsin
City
Marinette County Courthouse
Motto(s):  "Your city on the bay!"
Location of Marinette in Marinette County, Wisconsin.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Marinette
Government
• Type	City
Area
• Total	7.55 sq mi (19.56 km2)
• Land	7.01 sq mi (18.15 km2)
• Water	0.55 sq mi (1.41 km2)
Elevation	594 ft (181 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,119
• Density	1,504.28/sq mi (580.78/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	54143
Area code(s)	715 & 534
FIPS code	55-49300
GNIS feature ID	1569039

Marinette is a city in Wisconsin, USA. It's also the main city of Marinette County. It sits on the south side of the Menominee River, right where the river meets Green Bay, which is part of Lake Michigan. Stephenson Island, a city park, is just north of Marinette.

In the late 1800s, Marinette was a big center for lumber production. By 1900, it was the tenth-largest city in Wisconsin, with over 16,000 people.

Marinette is the main city in the Marinette, Wisconsin–Michigan Micropolitan Statistical Area. This area includes all of Marinette County in Wisconsin and Menominee County in Michigan. In 2010, Marinette had about 10,968 residents. Across the river to the north is Menominee, Michigan. The two cities are connected by three bridges and are often called the "twin cities" of the Menominee River.

The Name Marinette

Welcome sign

The city and county of Marinette are named after a very important woman named Marie Antoinette Chevalier. She was born in 1793 and passed away in 1865.

Marie Antoinette was a Métis woman, meaning she had both Menominee and French Canadian ancestors. She ran a trading post near the Menominee River. People knew her as "Queen Marinette" because she was so influential.

Her father, Bertrand Chevalier, was a British trader of French Canadian background. Her mother, Lucy, was the daughter of a Menominee chief. Marie Antoinette and her family lived in Green Bay for a while.

Later, Marie Antoinette married John Jacobs, a trading partner of her father. They had three children. In 1823, John and Marie Antoinette Jacobs settled in the area that became Marinette. Their son, John B. Jacobs, later helped plan the town.

After her husband disappeared, Marie Antoinette married William Farnsworth. They also had three children. She continued to run the trading post even after Farnsworth left. Marie Antoinette Chevalier Farnsworth was known for being smart in business and fair to everyone. She had strong connections with both the Menominee people and the European settlers.

She was first buried in Allouez, Wisconsin. In 1987, her family moved her to a special tomb in Marinette. Her original tombstone is on display at the museum on Stephenson Island.

Marinette's History

Stephenson Public Library

Dunlap Square Building in downtown, listed on the National Register of Historic Places

The area where Marinette now stands was first home to a small group of Menominee people. They were known as "the wild rice people" because wild rice was a main part of their diet. This group, with about 40 to 80 men and their families, lived at the mouth of the Menominee River in the 1600s and 1700s. Their stories say this was where their tribe began.

Early European Settlement

Before 1830, French Canadians set up a fur trading post here. The first European settler was Stanislaus Chappu. After the War of 1812, the United States took control of this area. They stopped Canadian traders from working on the American side of the border.

John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company became very important in the region. However, the fur trade started to decline after 1830.

Lumber Boom and Growth

In the late 1800s, Marinette grew very quickly. It became a major port and processing area for lumber. Trees were cut down in the forests and floated down the Menominee River. The logs were then shipped from Green Bay to cities around the Great Lakes and to the East.

In 1853, Marinette had 478 people. By 1860, the population had grown to 3,059. The lumber boom caused the population to more than double between 1890 and 1900. It went from 7,710 to its highest point of 16,195 people. At that time, Marinette was the tenth-largest city in Wisconsin.

The city had many different businesses. It had a new courthouse, city hall, an opera house, and two hospitals. There was also a street railway, many hotels, and industries like the Marinette Iron Works and the M & M Paper Company.

Marinette Today

Even though lumbering slowed down in the early 1900s, Marinette still uses its location on the water. Three bridges connect Marinette to Menominee, Michigan, its "twin city." Lumbering still helps the local economy, but jobs and population decreased when the industry slowed.

Marinette is home to a large paper mill (Kimberly Clark). Other important companies include Marinette Marine, a shipyard owned by an Italian company, and Ansul/Tyco, which makes fire protection systems. Waupaca Foundry and Samuel Pressure Vessel Group also have plants here.

The eastern part of Marinette, called Menekaunee, used to be a separate village. The first European-American settlers came to Menekaunee in 1845. The name Menekaunee comes from the Menominee language, meaning 'village or town river'.

Two Presidents of the United States have visited Marinette during their campaigns. John F. Kennedy visited in 1960, and Donald Trump visited in 2020.

Marinette's Geography and Climate

Marinette is located at 45°5'31" North and 87°37'43" West.

The city covers about 8.13 square miles (21.06 km²) in total. Of this, 6.83 square miles (17.69 km²) is land, and 1.30 square miles (3.37 km²) is water.

Marinette's Climate

Marinette has a climate with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. The hottest month is usually July, and the coldest is January. It gets a good amount of rain throughout the year, with more snow in winter.

Marinette's Population

Marinette's population was highest around 1900. Since 1940, the number of people living in the city has slowly gone down. This is partly because the lumber industry became less active.

Population in 2010

In 2010, Marinette had 10,968 people living in 4,934 households. Most residents (96.9%) were White. About 0.6% were Native American, and 0.5% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 1.4% of the population.

About 27.9% of households had children under 18. The average age in the city was 41 years old.

Getting Around Marinette

Highways

Marinette is served by several major roads:

• US 41 goes south to Peshtigo and north into Michigan.
• WIS 64 goes west to Antigo and Mountain.
• WIS 180 goes north to Wausaukee.

Bus Services

C&NW locomotives.

You can travel to Marinette by bus using Greyhound Bus and Amtrak Thruway services. Indian Trails also offers daily bus service between Hancock and Milwaukee, WI, with a stop in Marinette.

Train Services

In the past, the Chicago and Northwestern Railway provided passenger train service to Marinette. However, there are no passenger trains in Marinette today. Freight trains still operate in the city.

Freight service is provided by Wisconsin Central Ltd., which is part of the Canadian National Railway Company. The Escanaba_and_Lake_Superior_Railroad also offers freight service in Marinette.

Air Travel

The closest airport is the Menominee-Marinette Twin County Airport in Menominee, Michigan. This airport is mainly for private planes now.

For commercial flights, the nearest airport is Green Bay-Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay. It's about an hour away.

Marinette's Economy

Marinette has many different types of businesses. Key industries include shipbuilding, making auto parts, chemicals, helicopters, and paper making. You can also find the largest Walmart in Wisconsin here.

The Marinette Menominee Area Chamber of Commerce helps promote tourism and supports local businesses. It helps small businesses and young professionals connect and learn. The Chamber also works with educators to create more opportunities for students. In 2005, it joined with the chamber in Menominee, Michigan. It now has over 400 member businesses.

In 2011, the average household income in Marinette was about $31,700. This was lower than the state average for Wisconsin, which was $43,800.

Housing in Marinette

Many homes in Marinette were built a long time ago. More than half of all homes (53%) were built before 1950. About 45% of all homes were built before 1940. These numbers are much higher than the rest of Wisconsin. The average value of homes owned by their residents in Marinette is $58,100. This is less than the state average of $112,200.

Education in Marinette

Marinette is part of the Marinette School District. Marinette High School has a long-standing football rivalry with the high school in Menominee, Michigan. This is the oldest interstate rivalry between two public high schools in the country, starting in 1894.

For religious education, students can attend the Catholic St. Thomas Aquinas Academy (Kindergarten to 12th grade) or Trinity Lutheran School (Kindergarten to 8th grade).

Marinette is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, Marinette Campus. This is a two-year college campus connected to the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. The campus hosts "Theatre on the Bay," a community theatre program. Starting in fall 2024, this campus will no longer offer in-person classes, but it will still be used by the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. The city also has the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College-Marinette Campus.

Culture and Community

Marinette and Menominee share many community resources. They have a shared hospital, a community foundation, a newspaper, and a chamber of commerce. Many groups in both cities work together to benefit the entire community.

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Marinette Campus, is home to both Theatre on the Bay and Children's Theatre. All performances take place at the Herbert L. Williams Theatre on campus. These two groups usually put on two musicals and three plays or comedies each year.

A Wisconsin State Historical Marker honoring animated film director John Hubley is located at the Stephenson Public Library in Marinette.

Media in Marinette

Newspapers

Marinette's daily newspaper is the Eagle Herald. It was created when the Marinette Eagle-Star and the Menominee Herald-Leader joined together. The newspaper is printed in Marinette and has a circulation of over 10,000 copies.

The Eagle Herald started as the Marinette and Peshtigo Eagle on June 24, 1871. It became a daily newspaper in 1892. In 1903, it took over another paper and changed its name to the Marinette Eagle-Star.

Radio Stations

WMAM radio station in 2011.

Several radio stations are licensed to Marinette:

AM

FM

Television

There are no local broadcast television stations in the Marinette micropolitan area. All television services for the area come from stations in Green Bay.

Fun Things to Do in Marinette

Marinette City Hall and Police Department

Marinette offers many fun activities and events throughout the year. The Marinette Menominee Area Chamber of Commerce helps promote tourism in the area.

Parks to Explore

Marinette has five parks where you can enjoy nature and activities:

• City Park
• Dagget Street Park
• Fred Carney Park
• Red Arrow Park
• Stephenson Island

These parks offer sightseeing, fishing, sledding, cross-country skiing, swimming, tennis, ice skating, and picnic areas. You can also play baseball and go hiking.

Fishing and Boating

Marinette is located along the Menominee River and Green Bay, which is part of Lake Michigan. Both offer great places for fishing and boating. There are also local events like fishing contests and sailboat races.

If you plan to use the city's boat launches, remember that county permits are not valid there.

Major Events

• The Marinette Logging and Heritage Fest takes place in mid-July. This event replaced the Annual Fourth of July Celebration in 2012.
• The Sunset Concert Series is sponsored by the Marinette Menominee Area Chamber of Commerce.
• Theatre on the Bay, a university-community theater company, puts on performances throughout the year.

Famous People from Marinette

See also

In Spanish: Marinette para niños